Leads: Why Getting Just an Email Address Stinks
Pay-per-click advertising has become more expensive, and prospects only provide a Gmail address if they opt in—and that’s if they opt in at all.
As mentioned earlier, the notion of getting someone to opt in to your content and calling that email contact a lead is common practice. In our view, it’s not an optimal measure of success. There are several issues with counting an email address as a lead in 2019:
- Prospects are a bit savvier today. They know that if they opt in to download your report or to other “gated” content, there is a good chance someone will try to follow up with a sales call.
- Instead of putting in their official email address, most people put in their anonymous Gmail address—the one they use for filling out forms and downloading information.
- The amount of content someone researches in one day is considerable, and it will require having to fill out multiple forms in order to access it. Prospects will only fill out a form or opt in if the content is a must-have.
Aside from the points above, following up on email opt-ins is not super-productive. There are several reasons for this. The buying intent of the prospect is very low—they are looking for information rather than seriously considering your products. In many cases, the opt-in will unsubscribe after they get the information they need.
LinkedIn has found that 37% of tech buyers are less likely to consider a vendor that gates the first piece of content. LinkedIn also found that 75% of tech buyers are less likely to consider a vendor that gates all their content.
Given that you are a new brand in the U.S., it is probably a good idea to go with ungated content. That means don’t collect an email address—instead, let them download your document without having to give you their email.
You are going to include the Schedule a Demo button inside the content they download (see the Schedule a Demo Button chapter for more details). That means if they pass the document around to their colleagues, and they click on the Schedule a Demo button in the PDF, they are immediately linked right into your appointment book.
As well, when they leave your website, you will be following them around with our low-cost retargeting strategy (see the Retargeting chapter for more details).
So, instead of you facing all the work and risks involved with gated content, your prospects will be:
- downloading your PDF, keeping it on their computer, and passing it around to colleagues
- getting your branded reminder ads when they go to other websites for up to 3 months after they visit your site
- potentially clicking on the Schedule a Demo button and making an appointment!
Not that email lists and opt-ins have no value—it’s just a long-term play. The strategies discussed here are for companies who don’t have the luxury of time and the large sales force. They need to attract buyers now.
Think of email lists and email marketing as the long-term strategy that will pay off over time. It may take hundreds (or thousands) of emails to create one decent opportunity. We’re focusing on prospects that want a demo today—in other words, buyers.
Hunt for Buyers Rather Than Fish for Email Addresses
Attract buyers and make them feel comfortable approaching you to book that initial appointment.
So, what’s the best way to do that?
